The most prominent Russian businessmen of 2012

Forbes Magazine has compiled a list of the Russian Businessmen of 2012. The list of superlatives included the best and brightest representatives of the Russian business class.

1) Businessman of
the Year: Mikhail Fridman

Mikhail Fridman
is the principle owner of the company Alfa Group. The Alfa umbrella includes
Alfa Bank, Alfa Insurance and X5 Retail Group (a holding made up of several
retail chains). Last year, Fridman’s main achievement has been closing a deal
for selling a stake in TNK-BP to Rosneft for $28 billion – a new record for the
Russian market.

2) The Pioneer:
Mark Kurtser

Until recently,
Mark Kurtser was a little-known obstetrician and gynecologist. However, in 2012
he made his mark in the field (and the business world, as well) by floating a
medical services chain on the stock market for the first time in Russian
history. His company, MD Medical, currently manages several Mother and Child
clinics.

3) The Fiasco of
the Year: Jointly won by Stephen Jennings and Boris Berezovsky

Related:

Stephen Jennings
is the founder of investment bank Renaissance Capital. Renaissance was never
able to bounce back after the 2008 crisis. As a result, part of the company was
signed over to the businessman Mikhail Prokhorov. In 2012, Jennings left
Renaissance, and the corporation was transferred entirely to outfits owned by
Prokhorov.

Boris Berezovsky
is a famous Russian businessman who has spent the last few years living in
London. In the early 2000s, Berezovsky became heavily involved in politics. In
2012, he lost a court case against another Russian businessman, Roman
Abramovich. The case was built around a claim he himself had filed for $5.6
billion that was allegedly due to him after the privatization of Sibneft and
Rusal.

4) The
Cosmopolitan: Bidzina Ivanishvili

In 2012, Bidzina
Ivanishvili sold all his Russian assets and put all his efforts into the
political struggle that was going on in Georgia. Now, as a result, he is the
country’s prime minister.

5) The
Philanthropist: Alisher Usmanov

According to
Forbes, Alisher Usmanov is the richest man in Russia. Usmanov founded a
charitable foundation called Arts, Science and Sports, and he is the first
Russian businessman to be included in the Sunday Times list of the world’s most
generous philanthropists. The sum of his charitable donations to date comes to
$126 million.

6) The Comeback
of the Year: Andrei Rogachev

Andrei Rogachev
founded the Karusel and Pyaterochka retail chains, though he later went on to
sell his assets and leave the world of big business. After two years spent
abroad in the United States, Rogachev returned to Russia and opened the Verny
chain in 2012.

7) Forbes Style:
Roman Abramovich

Roman Abramovich is one of the richest men in Russia,
as well as the owner of Chelsea Football Club. His team won the prestigious
Champions’ League in 2012.